The Upper East Regional Health Directorate in collaborations with International and Local partners has commenced a two-round supplementary vaccination of children under five (5) years against polio.
The first phase of the exercise commenced from Wednesday 25th September 2019 to Saturday 28th September 2019 while the second phase is between 16th and 19th October, 2019.
The aim of the exercise is to provide immunity for children against the debilitating disease following an acute flaccid paralysis of a two-year-old in Chereponi, the Northern region of poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) on July 23, 2019.
Speaking at a press briefing in Bolgatanga, Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr. Winfred Ofosu underscored the need for the vaccination against poliomyelitis, a highly infectious viral disease that affects mainly under 5 children.
“The virus is transmitted from person-to-person through the faecal-oral route from contaminated water or food. The virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. The weakness most often involves the limps but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm”.
Dr. Ofosu disclosed that, about 1,400 community health volunteers with support from health personnel will move from house to house, schools, markets to provide the polio vaccination to beneficiary children.
He assured caregivers and the general public that, the polio vaccine is safe and has over the years reduced the disease and its fatality in the region.
Dr. Ofosu admonished the general public to report sudden paralysis of children under 15 years to the nearest health centre within 24 hours for urgent attention.
He urged the public to desist from open defecation and practice proper handwashing with soap under running water to prevent the transmission of the polio virus.
Dr. Ofosu appealed to all stakeholders to support make the vaccination a success to prevent avoidable deaths of young people from poliomyelitis.
“I wish to encourage all parents, caregivers, schools and the general public to cooperate and actively participate in this polio vaccination exercise to ensure that all our children are fully protected against poliomyelitis”.